The beloved Cape shape, with the
12/12 pitch rafters springing from
the first floor plate, provides too
little space and light on the second
floor for modern tastes. A common
fix for this problem is to stick a shed
dormer on the back of the house,
where only the neighbors and
owners will see it: the Queen Anne
front, MaryAnn behind approach.
Because the dormer looks exactly
like what it is — an extraneous
bump — it doesn't have any
stylistic implications. And it's probably
the cheapest way to add space
upstairs.
In the designs that follow, all the
changes to the outside take place
from the roof up. They assume you
don't want or need to change the
lower